Senior Open Space Planner

APPLY BY 14 JUNE 2026

Shape the future of Melbourne’s iconic open spaces & be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking team driving green infrastructure excellence.

Long term temporary opportunity – contract until 30th June 2029.

$121,095 – $136,286 + 12% Super

Bring your vision, expertise, and passion and help create a greener, healthier Melbourne for generations to come.

Ready to leave a lasting legacy on one of the world’s most liveable cities? City of Melbourne is seeking a passionate and experienced Senior Open Space Planner to lead the evolution of our vibrant parks, gardens, and open space network.

In this influential role, you’ll drive strategic planning, policy development, and project delivery that ensure our parks and green infrastructure continue to support the health, wellbeing, and resilience of our city. You’ll collaborate with Traditional Owners, community, government and industry stakeholders to create sustainable, innovative and inclusive outcomes. From crafting visionary master plans to guiding complex projects, you’ll play a key role in shaping sustainable, inclusive, and resilient public open space across Melbourne.

A Little More About The Role

• Manage complex projects, budgets, and timelines to deliver high-quality outcomes
• Develop innovative policies, strategies, and master plans for parks, gardens, and reserves
• Provide expert guidance on parks, gardens, and open space planning matters, including planning referrals
• Collaborate across Council and engage with external stakeholders to deliver impactful outcomes
• Drive evidence-based decisions through rigorous analysis and strategic insight
• Contribute to long-term management practices and future-focused solutions

What You Will Bring To The Role

All CoM employees will demonstrate an ability to articulate and demonstrate benefits of positive culture and values. In addition, the position will require:

• A tertiary qualification in Recreation, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Natural Resource Management, Horticulture, or equivalent
• Strong experience in open space planning, ideally within complex environments
• Highly developed analytical and lateral thinking skills and demonstrated experience in solving complex problems relating to open space networks, Crown Land management, parks and gardens or environmental management
• A strategic mindset with the ability to analyse challenges and deliver practical solutions
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills with an ability to represent Council in public forums and to negotiate win-win outcomes
• Ability to select, supervise and monitor the performance of consultants undertaking the preparation of reports and other projects

About City Of Melbourne

Located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne is globally recognised as one of the most liveable, diverse, and dynamic cities.

At the heart of it all is the City of Melbourne – a passionate, purpose-driven organisation where your work truly matters. As part of Team Melbourne, you’ll help deliver what’s most important to the people who live, work, study, visit and invest in our great city.

We’re proud champions of diversity, committed to continuous improvement, and driven by a shared vision for a vibrant and sustainable future.

This is more than just a role – it’s your chance to make a real impact, contribute to something bigger, and shape Melbourne’s future alongside a collaborative and forward-thinking team.

What We Can Offer You At City Of Melbourne

Attractive Remuneration & Benefits: Excellent pay package with a range of exciting benefits. Flexible working, study assistance & other great corporate discounts.

Excellent Leave Entitlements: Enjoy up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary carers, in addition to the government-funded parental leave, with no waiting period to access. Part-time equivalents are also available for added flexibility.

Career Progression: Career development support and opportunities to learn new skills within a creative and exciting environment.

Work-Life Balance and Hybrid Working: At the City of Melbourne, we champion work-life balance; explore alternative work arrangements, including ADO options, flexible work hours and hybrid office / working from home arrangements

How To Apply

To apply, please complete the online application form by:

Attaching your resume

Providing your responses to the three mandatory application questions below. (Each response to be 250 words or less).

• Describe your experience delivering a large park master plan or similar strategic open space project. What challenges did you encounter (e.g. site constraints, stakeholder expectations, competing priorities), and how did you resolve them?
• Provide an example of a time you successfully managed multiple stakeholders or conflicting interests on a project. What was your strategy for resolution, and the final result?
• Describe your experience working within an urban renewal or growth area, including engaging with State Government agencies, assessing planning proposals, or influencing development outcomes. How have you ensured positive open space outcomes in this context?

Submit your application by Sunday 14th June at 11:45 PM. A few important things to note – don’t miss out! Applications must be submitted online. Unfortunately, we can’t accept applications via email, so please be sure to apply through the official job link provided.

We are a child safe organisation. The City of Melbourne has a zero tolerance for child abuse. All employees undergo thorough safety screening, including a Police Check and, for most roles, a Working with Children Check.

Need more info? For further information about the position please refer to the position description below or contact Tim Burt via email: ***email_hidden***

Inclusion matters We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and people of all ages and faith backgrounds.

We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our Careers team if you’re contacted for an interview.